Simple front yard updates on your entryway, porch, or landscape can welcome guests with a beautiful first impression.
Most of these updates are easy to install and budget-friendly, but that doesn’t take away the significant impact they can have on your home’s curb appeal.
We’ve compiled several inexpensive front yard updates you can do in a day, week, or month and will have everyone wanting to explore your entire property once they set their eyes on them, especially potential homebuyers!
Take a look!
1. Build a Walkway
A well-thought-out walkway is a front yard update that’ll make your home inviting. Replace a straight concrete path with a contoured one made of brick, stone, or wood for a dramatic improvement.
Alternatively, apply a colored concrete resurfacer to your old walkway for a less labor-intensive upgrade, then edge it with stone or brick borders.
2. Bring Color to the Front Door
The front porch is usually the focal point of most home’s curb appeal, and a coat of paint on the front door or installing a custom wood door can have a significant impact.
Use metal polish to give new life to door fixtures while cleaning off dirty spots around the door knob. Accenting the door with a wreath or flag that reflects your style is also an excellent way to add a personal touch.
3. Install a Window Box
I love using this front yard update to bring color and charm to a home. Painted wood works particularly well for me since it evokes that serene cottage feel, but you can choose window boxes made from iron or copper for a more traditional look.
Keep in mind the amount of sunlight that falls on your boxes (partial or full sun) to know which plants and flowers to add. Also, complement your home’s color scheme for a congruent look.
4. Replace Hardware
Simple elements like a wall-mounted mailbox, front door lockset, and house numbers go a long way in adding style and interest to your home’s front yard curb appeal. However, your home’s aesthetic may be disrupted if these elements are faded or need to be updated.
These front yard updates work best when used as a collective rather than as mix-and-match pieces. Go for brushed nickel for modern homes and oiled-bronze finishes for more farmhouse ones.
5. Tidy Up Your Garden Beds
Renew your garden beds by planting new flowers, pulling out weeds, and pruning excessive growth. Fix up the garden bed borders by resetting any dislodged stones or bricks and cleaning the soiled ones. Add a new layer of mulch if harsh weather and sunlight have made the color fade.
Try upgrading your rock or brick borders to concrete or decorative stone for a more contemporary look and improved curb appeal.
6. Add Shutters
When appropriately used, shutters and trim are front yard updates that can impart a welcoming layer of beauty to your home’s exterior.
Recent exterior shutters made from composite materials like polyurethane and PVC resins make trim details low maintenance and durable. However, you can still opt for fiberglass, vinyl, aluminum, or wood.
7. Install Outdoor Lighting
I’ll never stop insisting on the significance of outdoor lighting in relation to your home’s curb appeal. Install spotlights to highlight your focal points and low-voltage bollard lights to illuminate pathways and help avoid tripping hazards.
Better yet, go for easy-to-install solar fixtures to avert the cumbersome wiring and save some money. I recommend incorporating various lighting types and fixtures for the best landscape lighting outcome.
8. Update the Mailbox
They may seem insignificant, but mailboxes are promising avenues for expressing a homeowner’s personality while complementing the home’s style. Consider adding a flower garden to a mailbox sitting closer to the road to make your front yard more approachable and welcoming.
If the mailbox is attached to your house’s wall, choose a finish and style that matches your home’s trim and accent decor. Painting your mailbox and post to coordinate with the exterior color palette is another simple front yard update you can utilize. Don’t forget to personalize with vinyl decals that indicate your home’s address!
9. Add Height with Trees
Large and robust tree species like European horse chestnut, blue spruce, maples, and oaks are excellent if you plan to stay at your current residence for the long term.
On the other hand, small ornamental trees or fast-growing species like juneberry, Chinese fringe tree, red lotus, and Japanese maple are perfect for adding dramatic interest, which is particularly essential when preparing to sell your home soon.
10. Consider Porch Furniture
Chic porch furniture, complete with throw pillows, area rugs, and side tables, is a lovely front yard update that creates a welcoming entryway.
You can put a rocking chair or two or, if you have the space, a small bench or couch. Choose seats with skids to minimize the damage to your surfaces.
11. Add Interest with Artwork
Sculptures, metal cutouts, birdbaths, and wind chimes are some of the few front yard updates that give your outdoors a little whimsy and curb appeal. Choose pieces that are weather-resistant and complement other exterior elements, as well as your home’s natural palette.
Personally, I’m a massive fan of water sculptures; I just love how they make hot days feel cooler, not to mention the soothing, gurgling sound they produce. Place your water fountains on level ground in sound vantage points and optimum hearing.
12. Add Grand Elements
You don’t need an enormous budget for front yard updates that draw attention to your porch and entryway. Add architectural details like molding to the top and sides of the doorway to help create definition.
Choose a well-curated and nicely arranged planter collection to make your front porch an even more inviting focal point.
13. Replace Downspouts and Gutters
It’s relatively easy to identify poor gutter maintenance from an old gutter system—drooping, rust spots, peeling paint, etc. These issues indicate repair or updating is required, and you may need to replace old downspouts and gutters with a new system.
There are vinyl gutter systems you can install on your own, so there’s no need to worry if you have constraints on your budget. However, they become fragile and crack over time in cold climates. More pricier copper systems offer lovely curb appeal and an unmistakable look of quality.
Pro Tip: We recommend hiring a professional installer for your gutter system for the best results.
14. Add Symmetry
I always employ symmetry when designing, given that it’s one of the most straightforward layouts to arrange—not to mention very pleasing to the eye.
Front door accents like planters and wall sconces are usually my go-to elements, and they’ve never failed to create a welcoming entrance!
15. Coordinate the Hardware
Earlier, we talked about how installing simple front yard updates such as porch lights, locksets, mailboxes, and address numbers can instantly polish your home’s look despite their small size.
Choosing consistent finishes for these elements will make them appear as an ensemble of accessories rather than a group of mismatched hardware.
16. Employ a Wreath
A wreath is an easy way to add a personal touch to your front porch, whether placed on the entry door or beside it.
Here, the white wreath stands out against the charcoal gray door and nicely complements the white façade.
17. Consider Container Gardening
I recently curated a container garden for my front porch, and I can’t get enough of the welcoming feel and color it always adds to my home exterior. I’m more of a DIY kind of person, so I created my garden planters, but you can get ready-made ones from garden centers.
Chip-resistant ceramic planters are popular for their durability, but wood, terracotta, and plastic pots will also do fine. As for the arrangement, I prefer a staggered asymmetrical one for a dynamic setting, a front yard update that’s never failed to amaze!
18. Build an Arbor
An arbor will increase your home’s appeal and enhance the front yard, but don’t stop there! Consider other complementing front yard updates, like garden gates and decorative fence panels.
You can find these front yard additions in prefab sections that you can easily connect or easy-to-build kits, and they can serve as a backdrop for a bounty of blooms. Consider painting or staining these elements with similar colors on your home’s exterior for best results.
19. Match Your Porch Décor
Keeping your porch décor and landscaping cohesive is one easy way to create instant curb appeal.
Here, a pair of rocking chairs, a side table, and a porch swing bench create a clean look and complement the warm gray siding and railings.
20. Add a New Flower Bed
Once you’ve finished tidying up your existing garden beds, consider adding a new flower bed to your home exterior to add more color and contrast.
Whenever I want to add a flower bed, I focus on spaces like walkways, driveways, in front of the house, or the yard’s front corners—these are key spots for improving curb appeal. Another thing to remember is to use a mix of plant color, size, and texture, choosing features that frame the house rather than obscure it. Precast concrete or stone blocks will be excellent edging for your flower bed.
21. Update Railings
Porch railings help reinforce a home’s style, making them an essential part of its exterior aesthetic. If not properly maintained, these railings can deteriorate quickly. If your railings are past their prime, replace the existing material with quality wood or metal components.
If you plan on updating other elements on your porch, ensure the materials, details, design, and color are congruent with your home’s main features.
22. Practice Lawn Maintenance
Lawn maintenance is one of the most budget-friendly front yard updates to increase curb appeal. Cut the grass near your lawn mower’s tallest setting and ensure you regularly sharpen the mower’s blade.
Ensure the grass receives the required soil nutrients by applying a weed-and-feed treatment, which will also inhibit the growth of weeds.
23. Liven Up the Driveway
A flower bed in the middle of your driveway is an excellent front yard update idea for boosting curb appeal.
The plant colors and textures soften the rustic brick driveway, making it look less utilitarian. Consider low-growing plants and flowers and add depth and height with a tree.
24. Tile the Entrance
Installing tile at your front entrance can drastically change the look of your home and create a permanent welcome mat. Choose a tile that’s rated for outdoor use and is slip-resistant.
Pro Tip: Grind the surface down before installing tile on sealed concrete to make the thin-set mortar bond.
25. Update the Garage Door
Garage doors are a key part in improving curb appeal. Consider sectional garage doors with windows in the upper panel or, if the budget allows, high-end versions that replicate the look of vintage carriage-house doors.
If you can’t install a new garage door, accent your existing one with new lighting to add character or coordinate it with your home’s exterior color palette with a fresh coat of paint.
